Senior Congress leader and Leader of opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched an attack on the Union government over the growing controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) on-screen marking (OSM) evaluation process, accusing the Centre of suppressing voices of the students and ignoring widespread concerns raised over Class 12 board exam assessment.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
Gandhi posted a message on his official ‘X’ handle, claiming the Modi government was uncomfortable with young Indians questioning institutions and alleged that students raising concerns were being branded ‘anti-nationals.’
He wrote, “The Modi-Shah duo has turned yet another institution into a symbol of rigging,” targeting Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Gandhi raises questions over OSM evaluation
The Congress MP also said unprecedented complaints had surfaced this year regarding the CBSE’s newly-introduced digital evaluation mechanism. He said, “For the first time in decades, such serious questions have been raised about the CBSE board exams. 18.5 lakh children took the exam, and for a week now, complaints pertaining to OSM, wrong marking and evaluation glitches have gone unheard, while the Education Minister clings to his chair.”
His remarks have also intensified pressure on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has already faced heat over the recently-reported NEET UG 2026 paper leak controversy.
Gandhi added, “The truth is, the Modi government fears the youth and Gen Z, because they are now asking questions. And anyone who asks questions, this government defames, intimidates, crushes.”
What led to the CBSE controversy?
CBSE courted controversy after several students and their parents began sharing complaints online, alleging discrepancies in the digital evaluation process used by the board. Among the major concerns raised were unclear and blurry answer sheets, calculation errors, alleged handwriting mismatches and claims that several answers had not been evaluated properly.
The issue snowballed further after students uploaded copies of their marked answer sheets on social media platforms, while demanding re-evaluation and greater transparency.
One student named Vedant even shared on ‘X’ that the Physics answer sheet uploaded under his name did not belong to him.
CBSE, Education Ministry defend new system
Despite mounting criticism, the CBSE and the Union Education Ministry defended the technology-driven evaluation process earlier this week, contending that the system ensured greater objectivity and transparency.
Education Minister Pradhan
Meanwhile, technical glitches on the re-evaluation portal added to the frustration of students, with many reporting payment failures and repeated website crashes during submission of their application. Education Minister Pradhan, in response to the issue, directed experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, IIT Kanpur and PSU Banks to assist the CBSE in resolving technical, as well as payment-related issues.